Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 12, 2025

Experimental Viral Infection in Adult Mosquitoes by Oral Feeding and Microinjection
Published on: July 28, 2022
Lipids fluctuations in mosquitoes upon arboviral infections
Mayra A Melendez-Villanueva1, Laura M Trejo-Ávila1, Kame A Galán-Huerta2
1Laboratorio de inmunología y virología. Unidad de Virología y Cáncer. Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Mexico.
Abstract:
Arboviruses are responsible for several emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, with dengue, Zika virus disease and Chikungunya fever being the most important arboviral diseases nowadays. Infection of these viruses depends primarily on its ability to replicate and disseminate in mosquitoes. Since these viruses are enveloped, viral replication, assembly and release occurs in the cellular membranes, which depends on the manipulation of host lipid metabolism. Specifically in mammalian cells replication, they use host lipids to establish a compartment known as replication complex that contains the replicase complex. This complex includes viral RNA, proteins and host factors necessary for a successful replication in mammalian cells. Although little is known about extrinsic factor(s) needed for arbovirus replication in vectors,recent reports show that high lipid concentrations are related with increased viral replication in mosquito cells infected with dengue, Zika and Chikungunya viruses. Here, we present a review that focuses on the cellular mechanisms and the lipid environment alteration in mosquito vector after arbovirus infection and their relationship with arbovirus replication.

